Law

Firm's muddy mission

Article Abstract:

Jacoby and Meyers, a firm which spearheaded the drive to provide moderately priced legal services to average people, is involved in litigation regarding its liquidation. One of the causes of the firm's breakup was probably conflict over its mission. Lawyers serving those of median income learned that most of the cases involved less money than cases involving the wealthy and corporations. Lawyers were then pressured to pay more attention to cost of service than to its quality and to accept cases in fields which might involve a higher verdict. Equality before the law remains an ideal.

Big Apple M&A firms are losing out to local talent

Article Abstract:

Merger and acquisition specialists from New York City are losing out to local Silicon Valley talent when computer industry firms looking for lawyers to represent them in merger and acquisition deals go shopping for legal talent. Silicon Valley law firms are at the same time struggling to keep pace with clients who were emerging players in the 1980s and have grown sufficiently to be merger threats 10 years later. Top M & A deals are listed.

Defining law practice

Article Abstract:

Paralegals have increased exponentially during the past three decades. Independently practicing paralegals pose the greatest threat to small law firms and sole practitioners because they offer legal services at a lower price. Large law firms have a different kind of practice and are less threatened by competition. Lawyers need to make their services more reasonably priced and user-friendly to fight the competition.